


Rebuilding

by waterbird13



Series: Tumblr Fics [283]
Category: Supernatural
Genre: (I wrote this in the middle of s10 I think), Healing, M/M, but like the mark got removed and the darkness didnt happen, rebuilding relationships, set post s10, slightly dean negative about his past actions
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-10-30
Updated: 2016-10-30
Packaged: 2018-08-27 23:46:27
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 801
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8422321
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/waterbird13/pseuds/waterbird13
Summary: It's like relaying foundation, Dean realizes, not starting from scratch but starting something again. And it takes a lot of work.





	

It takes a long, long time. Sam flinches a lot at first. Sometimes, he still does.

Dean does his best to apologize. The removal of the Mark clears his eyes, and he knows he’s messed up. He’s done bad stuff with the Mark, and he did bad stuff before he had it, some of which he got the Mark in an attempt to ignore. He owes Sam a lot of apologies. He doesn’t want to lose Sam. He wants to maybe have the relationship they used to have back someday. He wants Sam to know Dean loves him, values him, and will never do anything like any of the many things he has to apologize for again.

Dean apologizes a lot. He backs them with actions, too. He doesn’t touch Sam or his things without asking. He makes sure to ask his opinion every time he gets half a chance. He offers to let Sam drive so many times Sam apparently gets worried Dean’s being possessed. 

Sam still flinches. And then apologizes for it, usually, and Dean has to remind him that he doesn’t have to apologize for being hurt by what Dean’s done. They work on it. Dean learns what sets Sam off, what triggers aren’t dissipating, and does his best to avoid them. Over time, when it becomes more apparent that Dean is sincere, Sam’s able to relax a bit, and recovers slowly.

Four months later, Sam hesitantly touches Dean again. It’s not much, just reaching across the Impala to hold Dean’s free hand while Dean drives, but it’s more than the too careful strictly brotherly touches and the occasional wound stitching they’ve had for so long. Dean couldn’t be happier.

Sam sets the pace, and they actually move faster than Dean expected. Apparently, Sam missed this as much as Dean did, and wants it back just as desperately. 

It’s like re-laying the bricks, re-building the foundation which has crumbled. They can do it. It takes time, and patience, and a greta deal of effort and determination, but they can do it.

They’re dating again. Dean doesn’t know what else to call it besides that. _Dating_ , like teenagers, like people who just met who haven’t known each other for thirty-two years. But, he supposes, they’re getting to know each other all over again. They’re starting, not from scratch–that would be an insult to what’s happened, Dean understands that now, you can’t just forget and move on like it’s all gone away–but definitely over. They’re definitely trying again. And if it takes some dates to make that happen, then Dean is glad to have them.

They’re mostly quiet dates. Dinners–some at diners, sure, but others at places Dean would have never before considered, where the menu actually gets Sam excited–and movies. Sometimes they stay in and make a date night out of it. One memorable occasion, they put the record player on and danced around the library for a little bit, laughing as they tried to avoid each other’s toes. Dean Winchester is a changed man. If dancing for half an hour makes Sam smile like that, then Dean wants little more in life than to dance.

Tonight is a warm summer night, so they pick up takeout and bring it out to the middle of nowhere. Dean parks the car and they get out.

They turn it into a picnic, spreading an old blanket on the ground and sitting pressed together on top of it. The pizza is opened between them, and they each have a soda–Dean’s cutting back on the drinking, figuring if he’s going to become a better person, he might as well be thorough about it. 

The sun sets, and Sam actually leans against Dean’s side while watching the sky light up reds and oranges. He doesn’t move, seemingly content there. Dean’s more than happy to have Sam against him, touching him in any way, really. They stay there until the stars emerge, bright little pinpricks across the sky.

“Sam?” Dean asks after a long while, after the night chill has set in and the night animals make noise in the distance. “You good?”

Sam nods but doesn’t move. “Good,” he says, his voice a soft assurance, the answer he gives Dean more often than not now. “I’m…happy, Dean,” he says after a few moments, voice half filled with wonder.

“That’s good, isn’t it?” Dean asks, moving an arm around Sam so he can hold him closer.

“I can’t…I can’t remember the last time I really was happy,” Sam confesses. “And I…am. Huh,” he says slowly, like he’s turning the idea over in his head. “Think it’ll last?”

Dean squeezes around Sam’s arms gently. “Yeah, Sam,” he says quietly. “This time, I think we can make it last.”


End file.
